The stage area of the theater after the fire. (www.gutenberg.org photo)

An exterior shot of the Iroquois Theater on Randolph Street in Chicago.

By Fern Eddy Schultz, La Porte County Historian

On Monday, 27 November 1903, the brand new Iroquois Theater, an “absolutely fireproof” theater, opened in Chicago at 24-28 Randolph (between State and Dearborn streets). Back in 2011, I wrote about the Iroquois Theater fire in Chicago, 30 December 1903, and those who were involved from La Porte County. (EDITOR’S NOTE: Fern’s original 2011 column is included here below this one.)

La Porte County Historian Fern Eddy Schultz

At least 602 people died in the fire. Recently I received an email from an individual involved in that theater’s website. He/she had just come across my article and wanted to thank me for the information it contained. It had aided this individual in providing information about the Wile family and Joseph Norris of La Porte. Also, it helped to figure out that the Loomis and Beahm sisters were related, and found John Dickhut, who survived the fire.

You may also be interested in the Iroquois Theater website (http://www.iroquoistheater.com). There is more information there about attendees that day from La Porte County—information about some that I did not have in my original article. One of these was Norton W. Barker from Michigan City. It is reported that he was in attendance with unknown others. He escaped from the auditorium with a young girl, an unknown stranger, who sat next to him. They climbed the seating alcove on the north side of the first floor and from there fled out a fire escape exit. Norton was married to Marjory Clark and they had two children, Wallace and Marjory. Norton was a nephew of John H. Barker of the Barker Car Company in Michigan City. The site reports that in 1878, at the age of 3, Norton’s father, Wallace Barker, had drowned in a boating accident on Lake Michigan. He was with a group of his fellow Hyde Park Qui Vive yacht club members. His hardware company, W.C. Barker, had failed two years earlier. Norton grew up in Chicago where his mother, Jessie Norton Barker, chose to remain after her husband’s death. Norton attended Phillips Andover Academy prep school near Boston. At his mother’s passing in 1899, he moved to Michigan City, where he met his wife.

In the years after the fire, Norton and Marjory’s marriage ended in divorce and in 1925, he married Florence E. Wilbur. By 1918, age 40, he described himself as retired. For twenty months (1921-1923), newspapers carried dozens of stories of his daughter’s failed effort to force Bryn Mawr to reinstate her after expulsion. It is reported that he received a “gift” from his uncle’s estate (a portion of 10 million dollars), adding to his 1896 inheritance of $50,000 from his grandmother, Cordelia Collamer Barker.

There is considerable family information on the Iroquois site about other La Porte County residents who were noted in my article and were in attendance. Anyone interested in these families will find the family information on the site of value to their research about the family. There are over 400 stories about audience victims. Included is information about La Porte County residents Susie Lefmann, Nettie Mae Dickhut, Ella Wachs, Christ Flentyre, William Bray, Joseph D. Norris Jr., Susie Beahm, Angie Doolittle Loomis, Myra Knight Holmes, and others.

In my article, I mention that “Mrs. Wachs and Mrs. Lefmann had several hundred dollars’ worth of jewelry on their person and this was missing.” The information about Christ Flentyre discusses the jewelry situation. His discussions with the police and others are a very interesting portion of the segment on the site about Flentyre.

If you have a problem accessing any of this information, please feel free to contact me for assistance at netster@csinet.net.

In the early 1900s, the Iroquois Theater, located at 24-28 Randolph St. in Chicago, was regularly attended by people from La Porte County. It was Dec. 30, 1903, when the theater was featuring “Mr. Blue Beard Jr.” that a disastrous fire struck. Varying numbers were reported as being in the audience that day as well as the number dead. One account reported 1,900 in attendance with as many as 600 deaths. About 100 more tickets than seating capacity were reported sold. As of Jan. 5, 1904, 586 were identified.

Carelessness in handling lights, lack of fire drills for employees, and desertion of their posts by employees during the panic were among the charges made. La Porteans first learned of the catastrophe through receipt of a telegram by Alderman Charles F. Lefmann from Henry Held to the effect that he had been unable to find any of the La Porte people and asking Lefmann to come to Chicago at once. Mrs. Lefmann, who was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Jones, was believed to have died because of inhalation of flames that shot through the theater.

Mae Dickhut was one of the La Porte party who perished. She was not a La Porte resident at the time of the fire but had worked in the millinery department of the Lefmann store seven years before. Ella K. (Flentye) Wachs was also among those who perished. She was born in La Porte and lived there all of her life. For many years she was employed in the store of Julius Barnes & Co. Annie Wile and two young cousins, Ruth and Harold Wile, also attended the party. Annie was one of the first to notice the fire on stage and was able to get to the street and safety. Her insistence on leaving was probably all that saved the three from losing their lives. Joseph Norris, who had a seat on the main floor, also escaped without injury.

An address of La Porte was given as the residence of 20-year-old Dora Mitchell, but it could not be verified that she was a resident. It was believed that a mistake in the town was given and the same was believed to have occurred in the case of Walter D. Austrian. His name appeared in the Chicago papers as one of the dead and as a La Porte resident, but no one by that name was known to be a resident.

Several Michigan City people were either in attendance but luckily were able to escape unhurt, or plans changed and they did not attend. W.A. Bray and daughter, Harriet, occupied seats in the first balcony, fifth row. They made their way through a window to a fire escape and safety. Ex-Mayor Gerritt S. VanDusen had lunch with a party of gentlemen at the Palmer House and was strongly urged to be a guest of one at the show. He refused as he had promised to take part in a Masonic meeting that evening. Mr. and Mrs. John H. Lutz and daughter, Gertrude, went to Chicago with intentions of attending the matinee but for some reason did not get there. Dr. and Mrs. E.G. Blinks were prospective members of a party to attend but it occurred to Mrs. Blinks she was to be in the cast of a local play, so they canceled the order for seats and the trip was postponed. Frank Brittingham was in Chicago with a friend and tried to get seats but the house was sold out, so they went to another playhouse.

Susie Beahm, 15, of Westville, escaped but suffered great injury. She was visiting her aunt, Mrs. John Holmes, who died the following day from injuries. They had occupied seats in the first balcony, third row. They became separated in the awful maelstrom of flame, smoke and frantic humanity. Susie reached the ground safely in the alley and was taken by hack to the home of her uncle and aunt, where she received services of an eminent specialist. Before going to Chicago, her mother and father made the decision the father would accompany her to the home of the relatives. Had the mother gone, she would, no doubt, have attended the matinee.

Miss Oenone Ransburg of La Porte was in Chicago and intended to go to the theater but changed her mind and went to the Studebaker Theater instead. Mrs. Angie Loomis of La Porte and an aunt and niece of Chicago were in the theater. The aunt was killed and the niece injured. Dr. Geo. Wasser and Dr. Geo. W. Taylor had gone from La Porte to Chicago on business and decided to see Mr. Blue Beard. They purchased tickets but were detained from attending. Miss Elizabeth Service was visiting friends and they endeavored to induce her to accompany them to the matinee. She, however, chose to return to La Porte and did not go to the theater.

Both Mrs. Wachs and Mrs. Lefmann had several hundred dollars’ worth of jewelry on their persons and this was missing. Whether the valuables were taken by the police and held by them to be claimed could not be determined at the time. There was supposition that the bodies may have been robbed of their valuables, several cases coming under the notice of the police immediately after the fire. Then baskets of money and jewelry were picked up from the main floor when the fire was extinguished.

An employee of the ill-fated Iroquis was interviewed in Erie, Pennsylvania, where the asbestos curtain for the theater was manufactured. He stated the builders of the theater “wanted a cheap job and that is what they got; that the curtain was of poor quality for the purpose intended, but the manufacturers were not to blame, inasmuch as they carried out their orders.”

LaPorte County Sheriff Jan Rose presents Mike (with a full head of hair!) with a certificate following completion of a police cadet training academy, circa 1981.

Mike in his days as a volunteer firefighter.

Promoted to patrolman, circa 1989.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Mike Kellems has been a generous and talented photo and story contributor to WNLP pretty much since our inception in 2009. Through many of his shared thoughts and experiences, we’ve gotten a glimpse of just what it takes to be a cop day in and day out — the tragedies and the triumphs. While he announces in this heartfelt column that he is ending his career with the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office after more than 30 years, he has told us that he will continue to occasionally write and take photos for us. If he does not, we will have him arrested. Congratulations, Mike.

(Click photos to enlarge)

By Mike Kellems

It is time. On January 2, 2018, I will work my last day as a police officer for the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office. When I became a policeman more than 31 years ago, I knew there would come a day that I’d have to decide: stay at the department until the end of time, or retire, or start a second career and a second pension? Fortunately, my decision was helped along in September 2017 by a job offer. On January 3, 2018, I will begin a new career overseeing Safety and Security for the Duneland School Corporation in Chesterton.

With one of the Oakland A’s World Series trophies at A’s owner Charlie Finley’s LaPorte home.

This came about quickly and it is a very good opportunity. For much of my career as a police officer I have had one foot in education: D.A.R.E. officer, LaPorte School Board member, swim coach, and school resource officer. With my new career, I’ll be rooted in education with one foot in law enforcement.

Since this opportunity has presented itself, I’ve thought a lot about my time serving as a police officer in LaPorte County. I have seen my share of tragedy along with triumph. A seasoned police veteran once explained that every tragedy we see becomes a domino in our heads and one day, those dominoes will surely fall. Well, as you can imagine, I’ve got a lot of dominoes; so many deaths over the years. Fires, crashes, suicides, homicides, drownings, plane crashes. I’ve responded to dozens and dozens of these calls in the past three decades. Thankfully, as a self-defense mechanism, I’ve filed many of these “dominoes” away so deeply that I cannot easily recall details, yet there are many etched into my memory. I will never forget.

Cops see so much sadness and grief that we quickly learn to put those memories in a place that we hope never gets opened. I will always have a special place in my heart for those who have died tragically and the families that were devastated by the loss.

I am going to work hard at focusing on the triumphs I’ve been witness to in my career. A few that will be in my “highlight reel” include the recent efforts save 3-year-old “Bubby” following a farming accident; nearly two decades of honoring our county’s fallen police officers; working with the state Legislature to have Ind. 39 named in honor of fallen LaPorte County Patrolman Neil Thompson; participating in many great LaPorte 4th of July Parades; and the many police escorts for area sports teams as they advanced in tournament play.

The 1997 Slicers basketball team at semistate outside Mackey Arena.

A particular favorite: the 1997 LaPorte Slicer basketball team. I was privileged to lead the team as they progressed from sectionals to regionals, to semistate and finally the state championships in Indy. It’s very easy to get caught up in all the excitement surrounding high school sports, and I’m thankful to have had a small part in the memories created.

Like many police officers, I’ve worn many hats in addition to everyday duties. I was a fire investigator for a dozen years and worked very closely with many of our great volunteer fire departments. Ten years on the SCUBA Team kept me busy on the many lakes in the county. For 20 years I was a hostage/crisis negotiator and responded to many incidents, helping to resolve a distressed person in crisis. I’m thankful to have had the chance to start the department’s annual Peace Officer Memorial, a service that honors the county’s and the country’s fallen police officers. Thirteen Peace Officers have given their lives serving the citizens of LaPorte County; more than 21,000 have paid the ultimate price across the Unites States. The very least we can do is gather each year to pay tribute and we should never, ever forget their sacrifice.

Mike’s first DARE class graduation at LeMans Military Academy in 1998.

One of the things I’m most proud of is having the chance to mentor students as they pursued careers in law enforcement. Several have gone on to careers in police work and by all accounts, they’ve become successful on the job. Having had a small part in lending a hand as their careers unfolded has been incredibly rewarding.

As my career in public service knocks on the door of 32 years, plus six years as a county police cadet, I will be leaving at the top of my game with my head held high. I’d like to think that when duty called, I answered and gave 100 percent.

On May 12, 1986, LaPorte County Sheriff Jan Rose took a chance on a 20-year-old kid. I’ve been grateful for the opportunity to serve the citizens of LaPorte County ever since.

Mike (right) with close friend Mark Wilhelm in the early 1990s. They both served as police cadets and with the sheriff’s department. Mark is now a policeman in Colorado.

With “Splish & Splash” before a parade. The one on the left is now Sheriff’s Sgt. Adam Hannon.

Howe Military Academy students and Mike at a DARE project that involved rocker Ted Nugent (second from left) at a shooting range.

At a gathering to talk with Marquette High School students about the dangers of drinking and driving in March of 2017.

]]>http://whatsnewlaporte.com/2017/12/03/mike-kellems-it-is-time/feed/31Counterfeiting (sometimes referred to as the 2nd oldest profession) had a few early “entrepreneurs” right here in LP Countyhttp://whatsnewlaporte.com/2017/11/07/counterfeiting-sometimes-referred-to-as-the-2nd-oldest-profession-had-a-few-early-entrepreneurs-right-here-in-lp-county/
http://whatsnewlaporte.com/2017/11/07/counterfeiting-sometimes-referred-to-as-the-2nd-oldest-profession-had-a-few-early-entrepreneurs-right-here-in-lp-county/#respondWed, 08 Nov 2017 04:20:11 +0000http://whatsnewlaporte.com/?p=83089

An 1842 counterfeit “seated Liberty dollar coin” (lower part of photo), compared with an authentic 1847 example of the coin at top. (Courtesy coinsite.com)

By Fern Eddy Schultz, La Porte County Historian

We find that counterfeiting became a part of La Porte County’s history very early on in the existence of the county. Jasper Packard reported in his history of the county in 1876 that between the years of 1836 and 1844, there were a couple of men in the county whose “occupation” was the production of money.

La Porte County Historian Fern Eddy Schultz

These two particular individuals resided in Springfield Township. The exact location of their “business” was described as being in a cabin about a mile northwest of Springville. The area was described in more detail as being “on a dry knoll in the midst of a marsh and surrounded by willows and other shrubbery.” It is presumed they resided together in this cabin and perhaps each had individual talents they shared that lent to the production of counterfeit money. It is not documented, but it was reported that Springfield Township at that time had more money than it wanted and that the rest of the county around this area also was “flush with money.” Perhaps this was because of the production offered by these two men and not because of legitimate financial status.

Reportedly, the cabin was a busy place and was “the headquarters of a most industrious band of counterfeiters.” It was referred to as a “mint for coinage.” It is not known how the products manufactured were distributed, but it would seem that items were “on sale” at the cabin and anyone could make a purchase of whatever their wants might have been.

It would seem that such activity would not have gone on long without being discovered, and its length of time in existence is not known. Eventually, it was exposed. It was determined that two men were in charge. One was named VanVelser and the other Stroud. No first names were reported. There are a couple of Stroud entries in the 1840 census, but it is not known if either of these was connected to the counterfeiter. There are no VanVelser entries in this census.

Reportedly, VanVelser was convicted and sent to the State’s prison (presumably the one at Jeffersonville), where he died. No records can be found of his conviction or of his death. Stroud was reported to have escaped any conviction in La Porte County, but went to an unidentified Illinois community, where it is reported he was lynched for horse stealing.

It was during this time that Indiana passed the act to allow the law-abiding citizens to form Regulator Companies. By 1856, it was reported that northern Indiana became a hotbed for criminals and criminal gangs for various illegal activities. The various illegal activities included stealing horses, counterfeiting, gambling, robbery, arson and murder. The act allowed local citizens to form companies to find, arrest and deal with these criminals. This began the so-called Regulator Movement in northern Indiana that saw the formation of several of these groups. The first of these to form was the LaGrange County Rangers, and ultimately there were 36 companies. The act authorized the detection and arrest of criminals. It did not allow the groups to try them or pass sentence on them.

No record has been located about a Regulator Company having been formed in La Porte County. La Porte County did have, however, an Anti-Horse Thief Association. This was established along the same lines as the Regulators with some of the same policies.

FERN EDDY SCHULTZ is La Porte County’s official Historian. For more information on the county’s rich history, visit the La Porte County Historical Society Museum and its website, www.laportecountyhistory.org.

Periodic redistricting is a key element of helping to assure equity and vitality of our electoral process. Every 10 years after the completion of our decennial by the U.S. Census, boundaries for electoral and

Morris

political districts are realigned. That process is called redistricting. The purpose is to equalize the number of people in each district in order to uphold our constitutional principle of “one person, one vote.” The Indiana General Assembly is in charge of redistricting for both congressional and state legislative seats.

The concept of redistricting is very simple and clear, but the execution of it is not. There is a long-standing practice that many feel has undermined the logic and equity of redistricting. It’s called Gerrymandering, a process by which the political party in power gains special advantage over the opposition party by manipulating the boundaries of electoral districts to create partisan, incumbent-protected districts.

In 2015, the Indiana General Assembly created a study committee of legislators and citizens to spend 15 months studying how other states handle redistricting and to propose reforms for Indiana. The League of Women Voters in Indiana and Common Cause Indiana formed a coalition to support the effort. Earlier this year, the study committee issued its recommendations. They supported the establishment of a nine-member, bipartisan redistricting commission, with the members appointed by the legislative leadership. Recommendations of the commission would require an affirmative vote of at least six of the nine members and would be subject to approval by the General Assembly.

The study committee’s recommendations were incorporated in House Bill 1014 and a hearing was held by the Elections and Apportionment Committee on Feb. 15, 2017. Over 300 people attended the hearing and there was 90 minutes of testimony, all in favor of reform, except for one lone individual, who testified in support of the status quo. Incredibly, the committee chairman refused to call for a vote and the bill died.

As the plans for the 2018 session of the General Assembly are developed, it seems imperative that a way is found to gain support for non-partisan, citizen-led redistricting in Indiana along the lines of the proposal by the study committee. Here’s why:

The Indiana Bicentennial Visioning Project led by the distinguished bipartisan team of former Congressman Lee Hamilton and former Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann listed redistricting reform as one of our state’s top policy priorities because of its negative impact on competitive elections in the state.

In the 2014 election, 44 of the 100 seats in the Indiana House of Representatives were uncontested in the general election. That same year, Indiana had the lowest voter turnout in the country.

Landslide elections, where one party gets 60% or more of the vote, are frequently the result of districts drawn to favor one party or the other, making the votes cast for the opposing party meaningless, or “wasted.” A 2014 study published by the University of Chicago Law Review found Indiana’s state House districts to be the 5th most partisan districted in the country when the “efficiency gap” is applied. The efficiency gap is a new objective standard that can be used to measure partisan gerrymandering – it is the linchpin in the Wisconsin partisan gerrymandering litigation currently being considered by the United States Supreme Court.

If you agree with the need for redistricting reform, contact your representatives in the Indiana General Assembly and let them know that the 2021 redistricting in Indiana should not be gerrymandered as it has been in the past (by both political parties). Adopting an approach such as the study committee recommended will be a huge step forward in assuring there is fair and honest redistricting that is in the best interests of all Hoosiers, not just one political party or persons already in office.

LEIGH MORRIS is former mayor of LaPorte and former chairman of the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority. He and his wife Marcia live in LaPorte.

This is a “shout out” to a fine young man by the name of Steven who lives in Fairfield subdivision in LaPorte, who came to my rescue after I took an unscheduled trip on (and off) my bicycle.

Who can resist this amazing fall weather? After a beautiful summer of biking and water skiing, I’m not quite ready to give it up and stay inside for exercise. Riding about 100 miles a week, I’ve got a total of around 10 years and over 25,000 miles on my two bikes. It is my exercise of choice. However, this past March we joined the Lake City Skiers, the only water ski show club in Indiana (there are 27 in Wisconsin) and spent several days a week throughout the summer in our travel trailer at a quiet little campground just this side of Warsaw. Practice was two nights a week in addition to shows on Sunday and Tuesday. Yes, it was quite a commitment, but Cary got to join in the fun as well by driving a pick-up boat and is in training to become a tow boat driver. It’s the same group the Rotary Club of LaPorte brought in to perform on Pine Lake last July, and who will be performing again next summer. I had the privilege of opening the show on my slalom ski wearing what I call my “burial dress,” a red sequined costume (see photo). Go ahead … chuckle … my heart leaped when I saw all 30 of them on hangers in the dressing room, sparkling like diamonds. I knew I had come to the right place.

So earlier this week in mid-October 2017, I was on the last leg of my bike, wrapping up my 20 miles, when a steamroller pulled onto A Street, finishing up the freshly paved road that leads into Kesling Park. Normally I would leave the road and ride on the sidewalk parallel with the park, but that day I went around the roller with intention of entering the sidewalk through the grass. I hit the edge of the sidewalk and, just like Ruth Buzzi on “Laugh-In” when she would hit the wall on her tricycle, I stopped in my tracks and fell over sideways. Wiped out! Again, go ahead and laugh. (I did.)

I was so stunned that as I lay on the ground, with the handlebars lodged in my stomach and the seat in my back, I could not move. I was twisted up like a pretzel around my own bike. Try as I might, every time I attempted to lift my left leg over the wheel, the handlebars would jab me harder in the gut and the seat would send a stabbing pain into my back. Oh, what a conundrum … I had nowhere to go. I was pinned under my own wheels.

Until, that is, when a precious young man stopped his truck in the middle of the road, got out and rescued me. He had a look of bewildered confusion on his face, obviously as perplexed as I was about how to help me. He was so sweet, and after getting me on my feet, he offered to put my bike in the back of his pick-up and drive me home, which I declined.

He said, “Well, I will watch you to make sure you are OK.” What an absolute champion.

If you know a Steven, maybe 30ish, who has a tattoo on his upper left arm and who lives in Fairfield subdivision across from Kesling Park, give him an “atta-boy” the next time you see him.

Thank you, Steven … you are my hero!

SHARON BIRLSON KIRKHAM travels and writes. A retired flight attendant, she and her husband Cary were awarded travel privileges for life when she left her job in 2008. Their intention is to burn it up, and so far they’ve lived up to their promise. Sharon has written and self-published four books, the most recent an e-book, “Skygirl on Cloud 9.” Born, raised and graduated from high school in LaPorte, she and Cary will celebrate their 40th anniversary in June 2018. They love to travel, but always look forward to returning home to their beloved LaPorte.

]]>http://whatsnewlaporte.com/2017/10/23/a-shout-out-to-steven/feed/0Cop (with more hair at the time) recalls what he had to do 25 years ago to end rogue buck’s downtown destructionhttp://whatsnewlaporte.com/2017/10/19/cop-with-more-hair-at-the-time-recalls-what-he-had-to-do-25-years-ago-to-end-rogue-bucks-downtown-destruction/
http://whatsnewlaporte.com/2017/10/19/cop-with-more-hair-at-the-time-recalls-what-he-had-to-do-25-years-ago-to-end-rogue-bucks-downtown-destruction/#commentsFri, 20 Oct 2017 04:57:24 +0000http://whatsnewlaporte.com/?p=82719

Mike Kellems, now a LaPorte County Sheriff’s Captain, sported hair, denim and spiffy white sneakers at the time he did what had to be done to euthanize a young buck in 1992.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Sometimes officers are called upon to put animals out of their misery. That was the case 25 years ago when a buck, after sustaining injuries as it crashed into several downtown LaPorte businesses, was euthanized by now-LaPorte County Sheriff’s Captain Mike Kellems. Here he remembers that unusual event.

While looking through “Moments in Time” on WNLP Oct. 19, 2017, I saw that on this date in 1992 a deer wreaked havoc at downtown businesses before being shot at the

Mike Kellems

county complex. I was off duty that day and happened to be at the sheriff’s department when Virginia Seitz, who worked the front desk at the sheriff’s office then, came into the squad room and told me there was some kind of trouble between the complex and courthouse. I quickly learned that a buck had been running down State Street, jumped through large windows and doors, and did considerable damage at the Farm Bureau Co-Op building.

I ran out to the walkway between the courthouse and complex and saw in the courtyard the young buck with antler spikes. The deer jumped into the courtyard, which was about a 20-foot drop onto concrete. The deer, in full panic, had already jumped through two huge plate-glass windows in the lower-level walkway of the complex and was trying for number three. The immediate fear was that he would make it into the building and possibly injure someone, or further injure itself. I made a quick decision to put the deer down. One shot with my 9mm went through its lung and into the heart, killing the deer instantly. A local attorney took the deer to harvest the venison.

Hard to believe that was 25 years ago … hard to believe I had hair … hard to believe I wore that much denim!

The front and back of the Rumely Companies historical marker that stood on the LaPorte Hospital grounds, recently destroyed by a vehicle. (Photos provided; click to enlarge)

By Fern Eddy Schultz, LaPorte County Historian

Recent destruction of the Rumely Historical Marker, which was located on the northwest corner of Lincolnway and Madison Street, has brought attention to the other Indiana Historical Markers in LaPorte County.

The Rumely marker, dedicated March 15, 2003, on the grounds of LaPorte Hospital, was destroyed when hit by a car. The Indiana Historical Bureau is currently in contact with the driver about insurance to replace the marker. At this point, all that remains of the marker is the post. It will be replaced, but at this time it is not known when this will occur.

This isn’t the first local marker to sustain such damage. Two other Indiana markers in LaPorte County have been, at one time or another, destroyed or damaged by vehicles. The Air Line marker on Ind. 39 was destroyed June 28, 2007; car insurance paid for the manufacture of a replacement marker, which was installed in August 2008. The Civil War Camps marker at Ind. 2 West and Colfax Avenue was damaged in November 2002. There was no police report made of this. The marker was repaired and re-set in April 2003.

Other Indiana Historical Markers located in LaPorte County are:

— LaPorte’s Carnegie Library, located on the southwest corner of Indiana and Maple avenues, dedicated June 5, 2002

— LaPorte County Circuit Courthouse, located on the Michigan Avenue/Lincolnway corner of the courthouse lawn, dedicated May 24, 2001

Dr. William Henry Wishard was born near Carlisle, Kentucky, January 17, 1816, and died in Indianapolis in 1913. When he was 22 years old, he began to study medicine

Dr. William Henry Wishard

under Dr. Benjamin Noble of Greenwood, Indiana. Two years later he became a partner of Dr. Noble, and in the same year he married Miss Harriet Newell Moreland. During the winter of 1845-46 he attended the Ohio State Medical College at Cincinnati, and in 1849 he graduated from the La Porte (Indiana) Medical College. In 1850, he was again a student of the Ohio Medical College.

Dr. Wishard told of his experiences during the Civil War in his paper, “Some Personal Army Experiences.” After his return from the army, with the exception of four years as coroner of Marion County, he devoted the rest of his life to his profession.

The book, “William Henry Wishard – A Doctor of the Old School” is a memoir detailing the life of the man, who was born to one of Johnson County’s first pioneer families. He rose from a life in the wilderness, becoming a prominent physician instrumental in forming the Indiana State Medical Society on June 6, 1849. The book details what the early years of medical practice was like in Indiana, as well as life in Johnson County before the Civil War.

La Porte County Historian Fern Eddy Schultz

The Wishards entered into Johnson County in 1824 when William Henry was 8 years old. In interviews later in life, William described Johnson County as an area teeming with birds of every description as well as bears, panthers, wolves and all manner of wild beasts. Only nine houses lay between the Wishards’ farm and the then-sparsely populated city of Indianapolis.

The harsh life of a pioneer made it necessary for both parents and children to bear the burdens of labor. William Henry, the oldest of 11 children, performed duties that today would be considered quite beyond the capacity of a child his age. This led to some very interesting adventures described in the book, all of which helped shape William for the rigors put upon physicians in the 1840s.

William’s limited early education did not keep him from becoming a doctor on April 22, 1840. Not all doctors at the time had medical degrees; William did not obtain a college medical degree until 1849. He learned his craft by following Dr. Noble of Greenwood, his mentor, for two years. The only doctors available to the pioneers in Johnson County were located in Greenwood, Franklin, Mooresville, Shelbyville and Indianapolis. Doctors in those days traveled long distances through dense forest and thick undergrowth to reach their patients, often finding themselves at the mercy of harsh weather and exhaustion.

William dealt with other obstacles in the early days of medical practice in Johnson County. Doctors had limited effective medicine before the widespread use of anesthetics, antiseptics and quinine for malaria, making the self-reliant pioneers skeptical of medical practices. William had to be prepared to face the social and moral habits and tastes from people who emigrated from a large variety of places.

William liked to joke that he was just 11 months older than his adopted state of Indiana. He was 97 years old when he died in 1913, just three years shy of our state’s Centennial. He left a legacy that his son, Dr. William Niles Wishard Sr., and grandson, Dr. William Niles Wishard Jr., would continue. Dr. William Niles Wishard Sr. served as superintendent of Indianapolis City Hospital from 1879 to 1886 and vastly improved the conditions at the hospital. He was the originator of the State Board of Medical Registration and Examinations and also helped establish Indiana’s first nursing school. Dr. William Niles Wishard Jr. graduated cum laude from Harvard University Medical School in 1925. In 1928, he entered into private practice with his father.

Dr. William Niles Wishard Sr. donated his father’s original diploma from La Porte University to the IU Medical School in Indianapolis, where for years it was displayed on the wall in the library. He also donated a copy of the diploma to the La Porte County Historical Society. A recent search for the original resulted in it not being located. The search goes on. The copy in possession of the La Porte County Historical Society may be viewed upon request.

During the time of his attendance at La Porte University, William Henry Wishard lived in the La Porte home of Judge John B. Niles. Although living quarters were available at the university, many students resided in private homes. Wishard was so enamored with Judge Niles that he named his son William Niles Wishard, who in turn also named his son for Niles. The Wishard name is quite in evidence in Indianapolis. William Henry is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis.

Recently a search was made for information about all known graduates of La Porte University in an attempt to find some mention by one of the students of his having attended classes with Dr. William Worrell Mayo or verifying his graduation from the university. It has been reported that Dr. Mayo — of Mayo Clinic fame — was a graduate in 1850, but his name is not included in the list published in the La Porte County Whig newspaper of the time. Helen Clapesattle, in her book entitled “Doctors Mayo,” uses as her documentation of his graduation that “he himself in 1860” said “I am a graduate of Indiana Medical College.” However, in 1942 she questioned her information after receiving further information from Charles F. Cochran.

There seem to be two ongoing questions in La Porte County history to which (up to this date) there is no definite answer: (1) Did Belle Gunness die in the house fire or did she move on?, and (2) Was Dr. William Worrell Mayo a legitimate graduate from La Porte University? And if so, where is the documentation?

FERN EDDY SCHULTZ is La Porte County’s official Historian. To learn more about our rich local history, visit the La Porte County Historical Society Museum and http://www.laportecountyhistory.org.

From Mike Kellems: “These are Bubby’s shoes that he had been wearing (the day of the accident). Somehow they ended up in my police car. The Wellinski in me knows there was a photo to be created and so here it is.”

By Mike Kellems

WNLP EDITOR’S NOTE: Family members continue to report that Edward “Bubby” Burek-Phillips, 3, is making progress in his recovery at Comer Children’s Hospital in Chicago. In an incident that has grabbed the hearts of the community, a tractor operated by Bubby’s grandfather accidentally ran over him on the Burek farm on 400 South Wednesday, June 21, 2017. The boy suffered numerous facial and head fractures as well as internal injuries. LaPorte County Sheriff’s Captain Mike Kellems was one of dozens of emergency workers who rushed to the Burek farm. Here are Mike’s thoughts on the day and the events that followed.

On Wednesday, June 21, I had just sat down in my office a few minutes after 1 p.m. when I heard the 911 dispatcher ask for any available units to assist at a medical call at

Mike Kellems

the Burek Farm on 400 South. We were told that a 3-year-old child had been run over by a farm tractor. Several of us jumped up and ran out of the county jail and to our police cars.

Anyone driving by would have seen what looked like a well-orchestrated fire drill. In very short order a line of emergency vehicles was heading south on Indiana Avenue and onto U.S. 35. While en route we were told that CPR had been initiated on the boy. The police officers called out roads to block to make sure that paramedics and emergency medical technicians had a clear path to the call.

I arrived behind the ambulance and saw the little boy being swiftly carried to it. Some called out that a medical helicopter was responding and I offered to take care of the landing zone. I called on the radio to the many responding deputies, both on and off duty, that we would use the intersection of 400 S and U.S. 35 as a landing zone. Before I could drive the half mile to that intersection, our dedicated deputies had already sprung into action; it was closed down to traffic.

A photo of Bubby from a family Facebook page.

We anxiously awaited word of when the MedFlight helicopter would land. Within a few minutes we were told that the helicopter would be responding to LaPorte Hospital instead. We scrapped plans for the landing zone and opted to close down traffic on U.S. 35 to LaPorte and then Indiana Avenue, Lincolnway and Madison. LaPorte Police officers radioed that they were aware of the call and would assist by blocking all major intersections in town.

In short order the ambulance left the farm and headed north. As we traveled toward the hospital with several police cars surrounding the ambulance, I was amazed at how well the road had been cleared; it was a straight shot without one obstruction. I later heard a comment that someone saw the looks on the faces of the police officers driving the cars as they rushed into town, and knew they meant business.

I don’t know how long the trip took, but it seemed like only seconds. As the ambulance backed up to the doors of the LaPorte Hospital emergency room, the MedFlight helicopter was approaching the hospital’s roof. A dozen police officers and hospital staff stood at the back of the ambulance and made sure that no one blocked the path of the stretcher.

Very quickly the child, whom we all now know as “Bubby,” was transferred to the medical helicopter and flown to Comer Children’s Hospital in Chicago. Sheriff’s Sergeant Steve Lestinsky, who realized the family was in shock and in no shape to drive, offered to drive members of Bubby’s family to the Chicago hospital. They climbed into a department SUV and headed for the Chicago Skyway. A call to the Illinois State Police was made and they readily agreed to meet at the skyway and escort the family the rest of the way to Comer.

Aaron Banic, a detective on the sheriff’s department who knows the family, kept us updated and we in turn shared that information on our Facebook page. We don’t often do patient updates, but everyone knew this was a special case; Bubby and his family need our support — and I mean ALL of our support. And support you did; the first four updates we posted garnered 871 comments, each and every one positive and uplifting, and from what I’m told, they came from all parts of the United States. Hundreds upon hundreds lifting up Bubby, his grandpa and family in their prayers.

I’ve seen a lot in my 31 years on the force. Rarely am I moved to emotion anymore; that’s a hazard of the job. But when I think back on Wednesday and the incredible response, I’m moved to tears. When the call came in, everyone’s heart immediately sank. Then, well, we buckled down and said “Let’s go get this boy’s back.” My friends in our award-winning EMS service tell me that seconds save lives. I have to believe that the way our emergency services came together, we shaved a few seconds off the clock and hopefully bought Bubby the time he so desperately needed. It was a group effort to be sure — police, paramedics, EMTs, firefighters, doctors, nurses, pilots, and hundreds if not thousands of people lifting up the Burek family in their prayers.

A photo of Robert F. Kennedy and his wife, Ethel, captured in a rear-view mirror as they enter LaPorte from the east side of town in 1968. This is a photo by Burt Glinn, unearthed by Michigan historian Paul Lee. (Click to enlarge)

This photo of Robert and Ethel Kennedy riding through LaPorte comes from the photo collection of the late Heinz and Hertha Gutmann. Their daughter, Barbra Otolski, sent it to WNLP after seeing this post. Do you have a photo of RFK in LaPorte County? Feel free to send it to wnlp@whatsnewlaporte.com. (Click photo to enlarge)

Another historical nugget found thanks to Fern’s column: Eric Schmitz brought this to WNLP’s attention; he did a little Internet searching himself and found it on — of all places — a site called Oklahomahistory.net. Checking that site, we found that someone had sent it to the blogger of that page with this information: “I know these have nothing to do with Oklahoma, but I think they’re cool. I got these from my uncle in Little Rock (Arkansas). He was digging through some old shoe boxes of photos and found these two photos of Bobby & Ethel Kennedy that were taken from the campaign trail in LaPorte, Indiana. Wow! What a piece of history.” -Kathi G. in Fayetteville, Arkansas.” The other photo (not shown here) is a partial photo of the Kennedys. (Click photo to enlarge)

WNLP EDITOR’S NOTE: The rest of the story — Along with this column, Fern included a different photo of Robert Kennedy speaking in LaPorte. After a little research we learned it came from a rare news video clip of RFK campaigning here on May 6, 1968, unearthed by Michigan historian Paul Lee. Mr. Lee included another rare photo (top), as well as this tribute to Fern on his YouTube post of the video: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xygxRPvXz9s)

“On Feb. 7, 2011, I contacted LaPorte historian, author and researcher Fern Eddy Schultz as part of my research for a book on Kennedy’s remarkable relationships with non-’white’ peoples. Since I live in Highland Park, Mich., I asked for, and was blessed to receive, her expert assistance in positively identifying and contextualizing first one, then three more photos of Kennedy’s second and final visit to LaPorte the day before he won Indiana’s presidential primary, including one by Magnum photographer Burt Glinn, which was only dated ‘1968’ and located ‘in a small Midwest town’:http://www.burtglinn.com/Kennedy.html“She later identified a LaPorte County sheriff who is seen escorting Kennedy’s motorcade as it inched its way down Lincoln Way in one of the photos. Sporting his department’s signature wide-brimmed hat with a star above its band, his name is Gary Cooper (not the actor). ‘It happens that I … know Gary and his wife, Joyce, who was postmistress at the Union Mills post office (she is now retired, as is Gary),’ she wrote me in a March 30, 2011, email letter. (Fern might know for sure, but it appears that Officer Cooper is looking towards the camera at lower left at the beginning of the video.) She also carefully studied photos of Kennedy’s courthouse rally and kindly provided possible leads on the few African Americans in the crowd and helpful background on a local band — Dave Curtis’ the Bare Facts:http://whatsnewlaporte.com/2016/06/10…“’They were together most of the time the members were in high school (LaPorte High School). The ‘Wes’ who signed one of the comment letters (on musician and author Jason Bittner’s blog) is Wes England and he was a member of the group,’” she wrote on Feb. 14, 2011.“Fern quickly became my guide to all things LaPorte, and my friend. It is because of her patient and expert tutelage that I was able to readily recognize the Michigan Avenue side of the courthouse when I chanced upon this stock footage, which was dated ‘January 01, 1968’ (meaning that Getty only knew the year) and broadly located it in the ‘United States’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xygxRPvXz9s

“THANX, FERN!“I regret that I only belatedly learned about the dedication of the Fern Eddy Schultz Research Library in the LaPorte County Historical Society Museum on March 21, 2017: It would’ve been my distinct honor to finally visit the city that she’s made so fascinating to me so that I could’ve personally thanked her for all that she did for my work. In lieu of that, I pray that she’ll accept this video tribute as a small token of my boundless appreciation and esteem. Those who would like to learn more about the important work of the historical society should visit its website: https://www.laportecountyhistory.org“Paul Lee”

———-

By Fern Eddy Schultz, LaPorte County Historian

We have often been reminded of the various celebrities such as Oscar Levant (noted

LaPorte County Historian Fern Eddy Schultz

pianist) who visited LaPorte County, making an appearance at the Civic Auditorium. Bob Hope came in 1978, also appearing at the Civic. He, along with the Glenn Miller Band, entertained a sold-out crowd. Hope was presented with the key to the city.

Besides those well-known folks, numerous politicians have visited or at least made a stop in the county. In Michigan City, among those were William McKinley, Ronald Reagan, Woodrow Wilson and Bill Clinton. And in LaPorte, Dwight Eisenhower made a train stop in 1952 when he was running for president the first time. He was photographed greeting Cub Scout Dwight Graham, who was named after Eisenhower. Then-State Senator Harold W. Handley, who was a candidate at that time for lieutenant governor of Indiana, was also photographed with Eisenhower.

President Theodore Roosevelt made a stop in LaPorte in 1912. It was reported he was eating his lunch in his train’s diner and was advised of the delegation of people outside. “With his napkin in his hand, he leaned forth and waved his napkin.” It was only an accident that the stop was made in LaPorte.

A key to the City of LaPorte presented to legendary entertainer Bob Hope when he appeared at the Civic in 1978. (Photo provided; click to enlarge)

A more recent political visitor was Robert Kennedy in May 1968, who at the time was running for president. He arrived with his wife, Ethel, and gave a talk to a large crowd by the LaPorte County Courthouse. He was assassinated just a month later in Los Angeles.

In 1950, the Rotarians of Michigan City sponsored a Gene Autry show as a fundraiser for Boy Scout Camp Topenebee located on Holmesville Road in LaPorte. The show included the famous singing cowboy’s horse, Champion, and Little Champ. Tickets for both the matinee and evening show were sold out.

Well-known sports people were also visitors. In 1950, former heavyweight boxing champ Jack Dempsey refereed a March of Dimes wrestling show in the high school gym in Michigan City. In 1957, former heavyweight champ Joe Louis, along with three buddies, practiced teeing off at Beechwood Golf Course in LaPorte. The course had been recommended to Louis as being “the best groomed course in the Chicago area with the exception of Tam o’ Shanter.”

William Frederick Cody, better known as Buffalo Bill Cody, came to LaPorte in 1912 with his “first and last” appearance of his Wild West and Pawnee Bill’s Far East show. The show was trumpeted as having horsemanship of the character termed super-excellent. There was also shooting, “which made one doubt that human hands held the gun.” Not least among the attractions was Col. Cody himself, “sitting erect on his white charger, his flowing white hair falling about his shoulders as he galloped about the rings performing his prodigies of skill and valor.”

In October 1934, a driver pulled up in front of the Spaulding Hotel in Michigan City, hitting a car in front of her. The owner of the car learned the next day that the lady who got out of 12-cylinder Franklin and made a courteous apology was historic aviatrix Amelia Earhart. She had lunch and later spoke the Women’s Study Club. She toured the Michigan City Airport. Four years later came the shocking news that she had disappeared during her attempt to fly around the world.

These are just a few of the many personages who have visited our county. Some came as a result of a definite invitation to entertain us with their talent, while others came for the purpose of apprising us of their abilities.

FERN EDDY SCHULTZ is LaPorte County’s official Historian. To learn more about LaPorte County and its fascinating history, visit the LaPorte County Historical Society Museum and its website, www.laportecountyhistory.org.